Ore-concentrator



(No Modlf) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. RICE 8u P; S. FAMRRAR.

DRE GONCENTRATOR.

' Patented Peb. 4,1896.

`2 Sheets-Sheet 2.' W. RICE 3v-P. S. PARRA-R.

ORB GONCENTRATOR.

No'. 554,143. Y Patented 1191).4-,11896g (No Model.)

u Ima-5@ '1-11.-

" Nrrnn STATE-S *PATENT OFFICE VVENTWORTH RICE ND'PERCY S. FARRAR,`OF DEADVOOD, SOUTH DAKOTA.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,143, dated February 4, 1896. Application iled September 15, 1894. Serial NO- 523,119. (No model.)

invented a new and useful Ore-Concentrator,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ore-concentrators; and it has for its object to effect certain improvements in that class of machines in which the separation of the heavy and light ore particles is effected by gravity.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved ore-concentrator adapted to be used in connection with an ordinary sluice-box for the purpose of collecting and concentrating the heavy particles of ore that ordinarily drag along on the bottom of the sluice-box, while the lighter sands, slimes, dac. are washed through the box, and therefore the machine contemplates the recovery of concentrates from the ore pulp that runs through the ordinary sluice-boxes.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.`

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a central vertical sectional view of an oreconcentrator constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line x Qc of Fig. 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates an ordinary sluice-box that is supported at an inclination above the ground on the upper ends of the opposite supporting pillars or posts 2, that are preferably connected and iirmly braced by an intermediate frame of bracing rods or bars 3, and the said inclined sluice-box l is adapted to carry therethrough ore-pulp from which'concentrates are to be recovered, and said sluice-box is provided in the bottom thereof, at the point where the concentrates are to be collected, with the bottom discharge-opening 4, which may cover a portion or the full width of the sluice-box, as may be found necessary, and the number of `these bottom dischargeopenings 4 in the sluice-box depends upon the amount or quantity of concentrates to be recovered from a given amount of ore-pulp, and said openings are disposed directly over the machine or apparatus that effects the separation of the lighter and heavier ore particles from each other and a collection of the concentrates.

It is well known that if there is any difference in the specific gravity of ore-pulp, sands, gravels, &c., which are run through a sluicebox by water the heavy particles of ore will drag along slowly on the bottom of the sluicebox, and the same action taking place in the sluice-box l, referred to, such particles of the ore will drop through the bottom dischargeopening 4 into the inclosed chute-box 5, which is of a width corresponding to the width or size of the opening 4 and leads into the circular feed-neck 6, extended from the lower end of the inclosed chute-box 5. The circular feed-neck 6, which receives the heavy particles of the ore from the box 5, has adjustably iitted thereon a regulating-sleeve 7. The sleeve 7 is of a size snugly fitting the neck 6, and telescopes thereon so as to be adjusted to project any distance below the lower end of the neck G for the purpose of regulating the quantity of ore that is fed onto the apex of the conical concentrating-table 8, that is arranged directly under the neck G, with its apex in vertical alignment with the vertical center of said neck, so that there will be an even distribution of the ore onto the apex of said table.

The conical concentrator-table 8 is made of any suitable material desirable for the purpose, and the pitch thereof is suiiicientlylow in order to insure a thorough separation of the heavier concentrates from the lighter ore particles that are subjected to a reconcentration in the herein-described machine. The said table 8 is provided at its center under side with a hub 9, that is mounted fast on the upper end of the vertical table-shaft 10, which is arranged to work within the hollow bearing-post ll, that is arranged at the center of a suitable supporting-stand 12, and said hollow bearing-post 11 is provided at its upper end with a bearing-collar 13 for the upper portion of the shaft 10, and is interiorly- IOO threaded at its lower end, as at 14to adjustablyreceive the exteriorly-threaded bearingstep 15 for the lower end of said table-stand 10. By means of either the adjustable step 15 or the adjustable sleeve 7, or both, the feed onto the apex of the.concentrating-table may be accurately regulated to suit the requirements of the particular ore being concentrated. The hub 9 of said table 8 has fitted thereon the horizontal worm gear-wheel 16, with which meshes an adjacent worm 17 on the inner end of the worm-shaft 18, extending outto one end of the machine and carrying on its outer end a belt wheel or pulley 19, that receives a suitable belt for transmitting motion to the table 8,which is ordinarily about forty inches in diameter and is adapted to make about six revolutions a minute.

`The ore-pulp that is fed lonto the center or apex of the table 8l under the sleeve 7 is subjected to separation and concentration under severaly separate and distinct washings, and to effect ,this a main water-supply pipe 2O is suitably supported in position above the concentrating-table to carry water under pressure, and is provided with a circular distributing-pipe or extension 21, that embraces the circularfeed-neck 6 above the center or apex of thetable S, andsaid circular distributingpipe 21 has connected thereto a series of offstanding jet-pipes 22, that have connected with the outer ends thereof the jet-nozzles 23, which project to points in reasonably close .proximity to the surface of the table 8 and point outwardly toward the periphery of said I table in order to wash the ore particles which .are brought under the jets-thereof out tothe edge or periphery of ,thetable e. lt is tobe noted thatthe several jet-nozzles are arranged in different circular planes or concentrically with each other and in regulady-succeeding step order, the innermost of ranged underone edge of the table and adapted to receive and carry off lthe heavier concentrates which lremain on the table separated from the llighter ore particles and which are washed onto the chute-plate by said outer- Vhile the `heavier concentrates are suc- V .cessively washed out to and off from the concentrating-table by the step series of j et-nozzles, thevwaste 0r lighter particles of ore are washed off the periphery or edge of the said table before coming to the chute-plate 24E into the circular tailings-trough 25. The circular tailings-trough 25 is arranged directly under the periphery or edge of the table S and is of a slightly greater diameter than the table, so as to receive the washings from such table, and the inner side or wall of said trough is shorter than the outer wall, so as to be disposed directly under the outer edge of the table, which overhangs the same. The circular tailings-trough 25 is provided at one side with a downwardly -inclined enlarged discharge-box 26, from which leads the discharge-spout 27, which extends into the elevator-boot 28. The elevator-boot 28 is adapted to receive-therein the lower end of the endless bucket-elevator 2f), the upper end of which is supported to Atravel over the wheel `30, disposed closely. .adjacent to ,the tailingsthe bottom thereof, so that if thereare any concentrates remaining in the tailings the same may be collected by subjecting such tailings to a reseparationand reconcentration.

From the above it is thought that the construction, operation andmany advantages of the herein-described ore-concentrator will be readily apparent to those skilledl in the art, and it will beunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, and the `minor details of construction `may be resorted .to without dcparting from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

i Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be securediby Letters Patent, is

In an ore-concentrator, the combination of a sluice-box having a bottom opening, a supporting-stand having a hollow bearing-post provided with a .lower interiorly-threaded end, an exteriorly-threaded bearing-step f1tted in the lower end of said post, a vertical table-shaft journaled inside of said post and stepped on said bearing-step, a conical concentrating-table rmounted on the upper end of said table-shaft directly under the sluicebox opening, and means for rotating said table, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WENTWORTH RICE. PERCY S. FARRAR. WVitnesses:

JOHN CoRcoRAN, `JOHN B.- TAYLOR.

IOO

IIO 

